New Policy Saves Mountain Lion Lives

By Harry Gibbons

The policy focuses on ways of safely removing mountain lions that wander into populated areas.

Jordan Traverso is with the Department of Fish and Wildlife. She said the new policy gives animal control officers more options when dealing with the potentially dangerous animals.

“The major difference in the policy is that if there’s a situation where a mountain lion is otherwise acting normally, it’s exhibiting normal mountain lion behavior, it allows us to use tranquilizers to dart and relocate a lion, rather than having to kill it," said Traverso.

The department will still use lethal means if an animal presents a public safety threat or if other non-lethal methods have failed.

There have been only 16 reported mountain lion attacks in California since 1890, six of which were fatal.